In the last couple of weeks, there has been bated anxiety concerning the whereabouts of Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, the traditional ruler of Ipetumodu, a historical town in Ife North Local Government Area, Osun State.

His absence has been a source of serious concern not just for his family members but his subjects as he is yet to return from a supposedly brief visit he made to the United States of America more than a year ago.

Apart from his responsibilities as the guiding light of his Ipetumodu as the guiding light for his subjects, tradition is also said to saddle him with the task of delivering the sword of authority to the Alaafin-elect as a precondition for the latter’s installation. Little wonder many of the residents are calling on the state government to investigate Oba Oloyede’s whereabouts.

The call for investigation became more strident with the claims in some quarters that a Nigerian who bears the same name as the monarch was facing charges in the God’s Own Country for complicity in a multi-million dollar fraud. But the monarch dispelled all that in a video call with our correspondent from the US on Wednesday during which he explained why he is stranded in the country.

Seated in a room, the monarch, who appeared to be in good spirits during the conversation, expressed displeasure with the rumoured allegations against him, describing them as fabrications by some individuals he said were still upset with his emergence as the Oba of the ancient town.

He said the allegations leveled against him were not unexpected, “but I just didn’t know the extent they would go.

“It is really hard to fathom the relevance of my business in the US to my service to the community in Ipetumodu.

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“We know how to deal with those that are peddling falsehood. There is no need to mention names; the enemies of progress know themselves.

“Even if someone is facing a problem, the normal reaction should be to commiserate, not to antagonise.

“We know the people behind these lies, and we will sue for defamation,” he threatened.

Reminded of the worries among his subjects back home, the monarch said he had arranged a virtual meeting last year to address their worries.

He said: “During that meeting, people had the chance to ask questions. I remember a moment when I took a sip of water, and everyone joked about it.

“I liken the current situation to someone who dislikes you; there is nothing you do that will ever please them. They will always find faults.”

Asked why he has kept delaying his homecoming, Oba Oloyede said he was receiving medical check-up, adding “ you don’t wait till you are sick before you do medical check- up .”

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He said: “I’m sure you believed all the rumours. But now that you have seen me, you should realise that they are lying in the publications.

“I spoke with you for almost an hour and we did a video call. Could someone in custody do that?

“If you want to see my legs, I will show them to you. They are not in chains.”

A section of the media had claimed that he was in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on account of his alleged involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

In response, Oba Oloyede asserted: “There is nothing wrong with me. I’m not in custody. I have been regularly coming to America and going back.

“I was based in the US before I ascended the throne, and I travel out of the country quite often.

“I still have my businesses in the US.

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“The tax business I’m doing has been going on since 2000, which is 25 years ago. I have employees who work for me.

“A general usually faces the fiercest battles. If someone did something on behalf of my company, it is usually assumed that I’m responsible for it.”

He said his company regularly submits its tax returns to the American government, indicating compliance with legal requirements.

“If all the things they are saying were true, I would not still be doing this job. They would have revoked my licence.

“Without a licence, I would not engage in this work.

“If I were operating illegally, I would not be able to represent anyone in dealings with the government.”

He denied receiving any money unlawfully but acknowledged that his company assisted some individuals during the COVID-19 lockdown in the US, adding that there was nothing illegal about his company’s actions, as it has been compliant with government guidelines since its inception in 2019.

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The monarch attributed the current commotion to a domestic dispute between a man and his wife. “I believe the woman reported to the authorities that our company handled her husband’s tax matters.”

While he acknowledges the attention drawn by the tax issue, he stressed that he has never engaged in any illegal activities.

He said: “I have my reputation. Even within the community here; I don’t get involved in anything unlawful.

“I even read claims that I sold fake drugs during COVID. But I am an accountant. I have never sold medicine in my life.”

On the allegation that his continued absence could sabotage the installation of the new Alaafin of Oyo, he acknowledged that Ipetumodu being an ancient town has a connection to many Yoruba towns.

“The founder of Oyo, which is Oranmiyan, lived in Ipetumodu at some point.

“Alaafin’s Ogun shrine is located at Apetumodu’s palace. He left it there when he left Ipetumodu,” he said.

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But he also said that no modern Alaafin had come to Ipetumodu to perform any rite.

“When Alaafin Adeyemi III was installed, the stool of Apetumodu was vacant. He, however, sent people to perform rites at Alaafin’s Ogun shrine in Ipetumodu.

“By the way, we have not been contacted by the current Alaafin or anyone from Oyo showing interest in this matter.”

Meanwhile, Judge Boyko of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio ordered the release of Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, on a bail of $20,000, following his indictment and arrest for swindling the U.S. government of $4.2 million COVID-19 fraud.

The judge confiscated Oloyede’s U.S. and Nigerian passports as part of the bail conditions pending the outcome of his trial, which might take several months. Oloyede’s U.S. passport bore his full name, Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, with number 562****44, was due to expire June 18, 2027.

His Nigerian passport A08****97 was also seized.

The Osun monarch’s continued absence had stirred worries among the community members of Ipetumodu, especially given that he had missed traditional festivals and rituals believed to be necessary for the spiritual fortification of the land.

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Oloyede, 62, conspired with certain persons to scam the American authorities who provided COVID-19 relief to businesses at the brink of collapse during the 2020 pandemic.

Not only did Mr Oloyede falsify documents required to obtain loans, he also assisted his co-conspirators to perpetrate fraud and charged them a percentage of the disbursed loans.

The traditional ruler, versed in accounting, bypassed the loan requirements with the fake documents and did the same for his co-conspirators, to perfect the multimillion-dollar fraud.

Even though the loan was specifically earmarked to pay off fixed debts, payroll and other “permissible” bills for struggling businesses, the FBI found that the royal king squandered the loans on personal expenses.

Oloyede, who often shuttled Cleveland,—where his family resided— and Ipetumodu, returned in 2024 to America where he didn’t know a 13-count fraud indictment was waiting for him.

Some of the charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

FBI Special Agent Brett Zuck obtained the arrest warrant to nab Oloyede at Bedford Heights in May 2024.

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The FBI was seeking an order to seize all properties linked to the proceeds of Oloyede’s fraudulent scheme.

It is unclear whether the indigenes of Ipetumodu will be willing to wait for their king to fight the case in court or whether traditions will not permit that the royal throne be left vacant for long.